Contributory negligence means a defendant who is only 5 percent responsible for causing a plaintiff 's injuries will not be liable for more than 5 percent of the total damages awarded.

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Contributory negligence is a legal concept that limits the amount of damages a plaintiff can recover in a lawsuit if the plaintiff's own negligence contributed to their injuries. Under this concept, a defendant who is only partially responsible for causing the plaintiff's injuries will only be liable for a proportionate amount of the damages, based on their percentage of fault. Therefore, if the defendant is only 5% responsible, they will only be liable for 5% of the damages awarded. This is different from comparative negligence, which allows a plaintiff to recover damages even if they were partially responsible for their own injuries.

Contributory Negligence Means a Defendant Who Is Only 5 Percent